The San Diego Reader is carrying Dorian Hargrove's story about his simple skate down the block that turned into a life-changing event. He is the survivor of a major brain injury, and his story is called,
That's a link to his story, which I'm not pasting in here because it's freshly published and fair is fair: The Reader owns the copyright. Read it and think about how Dorian didn't want to go to the hospital, that he knew he was okay and how wrong he was.
Think about how he stacked just rolling down the sidewalk and took an unlucky hit.
Think about if he was you, or your brother, or your kid.
That was a really rough read. I feel so bad for both of them.
Everyday I take a break at around 2pm and go out and skate. I live right between two middle schools and there is usually a deluge of kids and cars in the street. Half of the kids are on skateboards and not wearing a lid. Sometimes I even see their helmet attached to their bag, like they wear it while people are watching and then immediately take it off. I was young once so I guess I understand why they do it but damn I wish they would change their minds and keep their helmets on. These kids are so full of life and they are always playing around and having fun. They have no idea that in a second all that could be gone.
Wow that really brings it home doesnt it? I always wear a helmet skating but i think i might start wearing one surfing shallow reefs aswell after reading that.
The San Diego Reader is carrying Dorian Hargrove's story about his simple skate down the block that turned into a life-changing event. He is the survivor of a major brain injury, and his story is called,
I need to wear my helmet everytime I skate, not just when I think I need it.
The sage, Longboard Buddha once said, "A tree spends 100% of its lifetime in a static environment and only after its reincarnation as a deck is it allowed to move at fast speeds...
when allowed, the wood will give thankless service if
allowed to flow."
This article should be fish 101 required reading. It took me about 6 years back skating before I started wearing a helmet, now I keep one in the car with my boards. I used to still occasionly skate without one for quick casual runs. No more.
The weird thing is I played Ice hockey for 20+ years and never stepped on the ice without a helmet and mouth guard (nice call cannon).
This article should be fish 101 required reading. It took me about 6 years back skating before I started wearing a helmet, now I keep one in the car with my boards. I used to still occasionly skate without one for quick casual runs. No more.
The weird thing is I played Ice hockey for 20+ years and never stepped on the ice without a helmet and mouth guard (nice call cannon).
Yeah, I've been ignoring the knee pads, but last sunday, I was cut off from the inside during a garage race and hit a parked car... knees got that nasty garage burn from the smooth concrete. Yum.
I encourage my crew members to all wear helmets. A few want mouth guards too.
The weird thing is I played Ice hockey for 20+ years and never stepped on the ice without a helmet and mouth guard (nice call cannon).
Seriously, the number of times my hockey helmet saved me from horrible injuries, I got a concussion WITH one on, and a really good one at that. Thanks for the comparison you're really dealing with the same level of risk here, and that had never occurred to me.
Up until today I wore a helmet whenever I went "skating," but after reading this article that baby is coming to class with me, to the corner store, to my neighbors, everywhere. The article really hit home that it's not just me getting a concussion because I'm an idiot, but not putting on that helmet can seriously affect everyone important in my life.
"I think that if I can persuade one kid to put on a helmet before skating then something good will have come from my misfortune." I second getting this stickied or something so he can save some more people.
-Helmet designed to look like it's just been in a horrible crash, but still all safety approved.. Just to make people think, damn good thing they were wearing a helmet.
-Stickers for helmets that say things like.. "Respect the dead", "Respect the dead and brain damaged", or "Dorian Hargrove". Could be in really tiny writing even.. just a reminder for the rider..
Or just writing the reasons you wear pads on them.
-A little ring or similar somewhere on your board that's easy to clip your helmet to, so they're always together. Similarly velcroing slide gloves to the bottom of your board can be nice.
My favorite part of the article was really the reminder to appreciate what you have. It's so easy to get sidetracked by focusing on your problems, instead of making the most of things.
Originally Posted by Dorian Hargrove
The next day at rehab, a young man in his late 20s sat next to me in a wheelchair. His eyes wandered around in his eye sockets. A puffy red scar ran from his left earlobe to his left nostril. His dad flashed brightly colored objects in front of his face. Occasionally, he’d guess the right color. When he did, everyone around him cheered. He introduced himself to me later that day. His name was Chris. He asked me what had happened to me. I told him my story. He went into his. He was asleep one night when someone he didn’t know broke into his apartment and butchered him and his girlfriend with a hatchet. His girlfriend survived. He died twice that night, but each time doctors resuscitated him.
“I’m so sorry to hear that happened to you,” I said.
“It’s okay. You have to try and stay positive, and each day you see some progress. It just takes time,” he said. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was upset that I couldn’t do long division, and this man, whose injuries seemed so much worse than mine, was telling me to stay positive. I began to think how fortunate I was to be able to walk, talk, swallow, and see.
Later that day, at a trauma checkup at Scripps, a nurse recognized me from my time in the intensive care unit. She was shocked at my present condition. She said that she and the other nurses didn’t think I would survive, let alone come out in the state I was in. That, and the conversation with Chris in rehab, made me realize how close I had come to dying. It gave me a perspective and insight that I had lacked since waking from the coma. I began to appreciate my second chance and vowed to focus on the positive and not get hung up on the negative.
When oil becomes scarce and hits $300 a barrel, we'll live in a golden age of empty roads, and free and safe longboarding and cycling
IM FIRIN MY LAZER
......
O o
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| - BLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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i usually dont wear a helmet unless im gonna be bombing a hill, but after reading that, im definitely putting on a helmet anytime and every time i step on my board
I just reposted this to the UVA Longboarding site. I also reposted the Ian Tillman foundation link. I actually offered to pay for all the guys' 7$ shipping charge if they promise to wear helmets. I tried to limit it to the 2009-2010 school year, but I dunno... The main thing is that it sort of freaks me out to see these guys bomb the local hill with no pads and no helmet. One of the guys got clocked at 30mph on that hill.
Maybe we can do a fundraiser or something to get more folks helmets and boards... Meh... whatever.
Yup, it's been confirmed that at the company I work for, I'm officially known as "That Skateboarder Guy". I think I need a shirt or skateboard with the "That 70's Show" logo replaced by "That Skateboarder Guy".
Want list: Better question: What DON'T I want?!?!
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